International Baby Names
By Pamela Redmond · Updated October 2026
Across 4 pages
of 4
Japanese; Nigerian; Welsh variation of Thomas
"wealth; twin"
A Welsh diminutive of Tomos/Thomas, or just a simplified spelling of Tommy. In Japan and Nigerian, Tomi is a unisex name.
Spanish diminutive of Guadalupe, Latin
"wolf"
Derived from a Spanish title of the Virgin Mary, Guadalupe, Lupe has both a spiritual and animal meaning. In relation to its long form, it is associated with a convent in Spain and the appearance of…
Spanish
"good fortune"
Ventura started life as a shortening of Bonaventura, Spanish for good luck or good fortune, but now stands on its own. It has a pleasant sound and the stylish 'V' ending, but Angelenos would…
Spanish from Native American word name
"hurricane"
Hurricane is a storm, but it's also an American name , thanks to rising tennis star Hurricane Black -- whose sister's name is Tornado. There's no reason this tempestuous choice can't work for boys…
Spanish and Portuguese surname
"bear"
A possible hero name inspired by notables from Spanish poet/playwright Federico Garcia Lorca to writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez to the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia.
Place name and Spanish from Latin
"flowery"
Lacks the cachet of some newer place-names.
Feliz is a feminine name with Spanish and Portuguese origins, directly meaning "happy" or "fortunate." Simple yet profound, this name bestows an inherently positive quality upon its bearer. While…
Spanish from Latin
"days"
Perfect example of a surname that would work well as a first.
Spanish place name
"colored red"
One of the unisex western names that rode in with Dakota and Montana.
Spanish surname
Plausible music hero choice with undertones of Joan Baez's social activist folkie persona.
Spanish word name
"tornado"
Tornado first meant thunderstorm and only later came to mean whirlwind, the common modern meaning. More recently, Tornado is the first name of a tennis-playing teen whose sister is called the equally…
"devil"
Diablo Cody, self-named (she's really Brook Busey) screenwriter of Juno, singlehandedly helped popularize not just her heroine's name and her own but all o-ending names for girls. You don't need us…
Spanish, Mapuche
"laughing, clear, ember"
A Hispanicized form of Ailen and Ayelen , a traditionally feminine Mapuche name.
Feminine form of Ximeno, Basque, Spanish
"hearing, listening; daughter"
A popular choice in Mexico and a Top 200 name in the US, though usually for girls. It did however chart in the US for a small number of boys in the 2010s. The name possibly derives from the classic…
Tswana, Amharic, Japanese, Spanish
"cloud; honey; circle, round; beloved + wellborn"
Spirited yet gentle in sound, Maru is a multicultural and unisex option. Associated with an internet-famous cat from Japan, a Māori god of war and fresh water, and a character in the game Stardew…
Spanish and Portuguese form of Zurishaddai, Herbrew
"my rock is Shaddai, God is my rock"
A distinctive variation of a (masculine) Biblical name, Zurisadai is predominantly used as a feminine name in Mexico, the US, and Peru. Derived from the Hebrew elements tsur meaniing "rock" and…
Spanish place name and surname
The haunting Lorca is a place name from the Spanish province of Navarre, but far more famous as the surname of the eminent Spanish poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, who was the direct…
Spanish artist name
If you love the colorful works of the Spanish abstractionist.
Diminutive of Alonzo
"noble, ready"
For older generations this still summons silent horror star Chaney; for others it's a pleasant if slight nickname name.
Chinese, Burmese, Russian, Bulgarian, Spanish, French
"forest; jade; bright, clear; flax"
Succinct and simple on the surface, Lin is a surprisingly complex name with a variety of different roots. As a Chinese name, it is a unisex option, connected to the color green. Pronounced as LEEN,…
